Expansion of flood-tolerant rice cultivation stressed

Countrywide Desk

Agriculture experts at a farmers' field day have stressed on expanded cultivation of flood tolerant rice to increase rice production in attaining sustainable food security amid adverse impacts of climate change. RDRS Bangladesh, an NGO, organized the event at research plots of flood tolerant BRRI dhan51, BRRI dhan52, BINA dhan11 and BINA dhan12 rice and local variety 'Bozra' rice of four farmers in Noyagram village under Ulipur upazila of Kurigram on Thursday afternoon, a press release said. The NGO assisted 50 farmers of Chilmari and Ulipur upazilas in Kuirgram to expand cultivation of these rice varieties this season with support of International Rice Research Institute under Stress Tolerant Rice for South Asia and Africa (IRRI-STRASA) project.

The main objective of arranging the event was to exhibit farming technologies of flood tolerant rice to popularize cultivation of those suitable for flood-prone and low-lying areas, reports BSS. Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension for Kurigram Mokbul Hossain attended the event as chief guest with Project Coordinator of Climate Change Project of RDRS Bangladesh for Kuirgram Shafiul Islam in the chair.

Farmers Kajibar Rahman, Abu Bakar and Shajahan Ali shared their experience in cultivating of these flood tolerant rice varieties having submergence tolerant capacities for over two weeks to get better yield than local 'Bozra' variety rice. They also termed cultivation of BINA dhan11 and BRRI dhan52 rice varieties as more suitable as early harvest of the same would allow cultivating subsequent mustard, wheat and maize on the same land. The chief guest called upon the farmers for expanding cultivation of flood tolerant rice varieties to increase rice production by overcoming crop losses being caused by floods every year in the country.